Course Description
Lectures: Mon., Wed., 12:10 – 1 p.m.
The media of mass communication are pervasive and ubiquitous and their influence is obviously profound. The development of books, newspapers, magazines, movies, radio and television broadcasting, cable television, communication satellites, smartphones, and instantaneous global communication by means of the Internet and the World Wide Web have left few aspects of human experience untouched. This course focuses on the interactions of social meanings, cultural orientations, media technologies, and common forms of popular expression. Particular attention is given to the legal, political and economic factors that affect the circulation of ideas, information, and images in American society.
Each Monday and Wednesday (12:10-1:00 p.m.) we will meet for a common lecture session in 615 HW, where general themes will be introduced and developed. Lecture titles and related readings are included in the class schedule that follows. Once a week you will also meet in the discussion sections for which you have registered. Your section instructor will review the assigned readings. You should carefully study the assigned reading prior to the scheduled date so that you will be able to participate in class discussion and follow the lecture.
Readings
The required textbook for this course is a loose-leaf version of Campbell, Martin & Fabos, Media & Culture: Mass Communication in the Digital Age, (New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2017). You should purchase the “package,” which includes the loose-leaf text, an e-book version, and a LaunchPad access card for online videos, sample quizzes and the like, through Hunter’s online bookstore or at Shakespeare & Company. The 10 and 13 digit numbers for this package are: ISBN-10: 1-319-13700-8 and ISBN-13: 978-1-319-13700-7.
Class participation is an essential part of this course. You should come to class prepared to discuss and analyze the assigned reading. Attendance is required at both the lectures and the discussion sessions. Frequent lateness (more than twice), poor attendance, or inadequate participation will adversely affect your final grade. You are permitted one unexcused absence (please email your discussion instructor if you anticipate missing lecture or discussion). For each additional unexcused absence or lateness two points will be taken off your final grade point average. Given, among other reasons, the need to focus and avoid distractions, all electronic devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops, must be turned off during class. Not doing so will result in your being marked absent from class.
Course Objectives
• To understand the basic terminology of media studies.
• To develop listening and observational skills for the systematic study of media.
• To master a wide range of analytical concepts specific to media studies.
• To gain insight into the contextual relationship between media and culture through examination of the history, production, and aesthetics of the media.
Assessment
• Periodic quizzes to assess the student’s comprehension of reading assignments and lecture topics.
• Two essay-driven exams to demonstrate the student’s ability to explain concepts explored in the plenary sessions, assigned readings, and discussion classes.
• A paper analyzing online coverage of a major event to demonstrate critical thinking using the tools and techniques of reasoned argument discussed throughout the course.
• Class participation – students are expected to raise and answer questions and engage in class discussions focused on reading assignments and lecture topics.
Examinations, Assignments, and Evaluation
There will be four quizzes in the discussion sections during the semester (two before the midterm and two after). There will also be a midterm examination in the lecture hall, and a final examination during Final Exam Week. In addition, there is a short paper (see addendum for details).
Your final grade in the course will be determined as follows:
Midterm Examination 20%
Final Examination 20%
Average of the four (4) quizzes (you may drop your lowest quiz grade if you have no more than one unexcused absence) 20%
Writing Assignment 20%
Class Participation 20%
You may only makeup a quiz or an exam if you have a legitimate excuse acceptable to your discussion instructor. Late papers will not be accepted unless you are seriously ill or otherwise physically incapacitated.
Topics, Reading Assignments, and Examination Schedule
8/28(M) | Course Overview (RHS)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 1, “Mass Communication: A Critical Approach,” pp. 3-33.
8/30(W) | Key Terms and Concepts (JHW)
Review the reading assignment for 8/28(M)
9/6(W) | Media Effects (RHS)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 15, “Media Effects and Cultural Approaches to Research,” pp. 480-503; and L. Mlodinow, Chapter 7, “Sorting People and Things,” Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior, on the Blackboard site
9/11(M) | Media Effects continued…. (RHS)
Review the reading assignment for 9/6(W)
9/13(W) | Media Effects continued…. (RHS)
Review the assignment for 9/6(W)
9/18(M) | Printing, Books and Cultural Change (RHS)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 10, “Books and the Power of Print,” pp. 318-347; and R.H. Stanley, “The Rise of Print Culture” on the Blackboard site.
9/25(M) | Books as Mass Communication (JHW)
Review the reading assignment for 9/18(M)
9/27(W) | Newspapers & the Culture of Journalism (RHS)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 8, “Newspapers: The Rise and Decline of Modern Journalism,” pp. 250-287, and Chapter 14, “The Culture of Journalism,” pp. 448-479.
10/2(M) | Newspapers and Culture of Journalism continued…. (RHS)
Review the assignment for 9/27(W)
10/4(W) | Movies as a Cultural Force (JHW)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 7, “Movies and the Impact of Images,” pp. 214-247.
10/11(W) | Movies as a Cultural Force continued…. (JHW)
Review the reading assignments for 10/4(W)
10/16(M) | MIDTERM EXAMINATION
10/18(W) | Popular Music and the Radio Industry (RHS)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 4, “Sound Recording and Popular Music,” pp. 105-138; Chapter 5, “Popular Radio and the Origins of Broadcasting,” pp. 139-172; and the excerpts from R. H. Stanley, “Television’s Roots in Radio” on the Blackboard site
10/23(M) | Popular Music and the Radio Industry continued…. (RHS)
Review the assignment for 10/18(W)
10/25(W) | Contemporary Radio Formats (DD)
Review the assignment for 10/18(M)
10/30(M) | Broadcast & Cable Television (JHW)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 6, “Television and Cable,” pp. 172-214; and the excerpts from R. H. Stanley, “On Television” on the Blackboard sit
11/1(W) | Broadcast & Cable Television continued…. (JHW)
Review the reading assignment for 10/30(M)
11/6(M) | Broadcast & Cable Television continued…. (JHW)
Review the reading assignment for 10/30(M)
11/8(W) | Internet & World Wide Web (JHW)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 2, “The Internet, Digital Media, and Media Convergence, pp. 36-67.
11/13(M) | Internet & World Wide Web (JHW)
Review the reading assignment for 11/8(W)
11/15(W) | Advertising in Perspective (RHS)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 11, “Advertising and Commercial Culture,” pp. 351-383.
11/20(M) | Advertising Appeals (RHS)
Review the assignment for 11/15(W)
11/22(W) | Public Relations (JHW)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 12, “Public Relations and Framing the Image,” pp. 385-411; and “The Mother of All Clients,” excerpted in PR Watch: http://www.prwatch.org/books/tsigfy10.html
11/27(M) | Public Relations continued…. (JHW)
Review the assignment for 11/22(W).
11/29(W) | Digital Gaming (AI)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 3, “Digital Gaming and the Media Playground,” pp. 69-101.
12/4(M) | Legal Restrictions on the Mass Media (RHS)
Read Campbell, et al., Chapter 16, “Legal Controls and Freedom of Expression,” pp. 505-533.
12/6(W) | Legal Restrictions continued…. (RHS)
Review the reading assignment for 12/4(M)
12/11(M) | Legal Restrictions continued…. (RHS)
Review the reading assignment for 12/4(M)
12/20(W) | FINAL EXAMINATION
WRITING ASSIGNMENT
The explosion of social media and mobile technology have made more information available at our fingertips than anytime in human history, but ironically, we have less and less confidence in the reliability of that information. The spread of rumor, pernicious falsehood, disinformation, and unverified reports masquerading as fact have proliferated since the advent of the internet. A retweeted lie can circle the globe several times over before the “truth” even begins to circulate. The problem is bound to get worse as more people get their news online and politics becomes more tribal and polarized.
For this assignment, you should analyze the recent ongoing news story about the events and circumstances surrounding the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia. Analyze the story from the perspective of three articles from the Breitbart News Network (http://breitbart.com/) compared with three articles from the online reporting in the Salon.com (http://salon.com/) in relation to the following considerations:
1. Why was this event newsworthy? Why did it create a national and international 24/7 news focus?
2. Where in Charlottesville, specifically, did the events of the story take place?
3. When did the events of the story take place? When was the story reported in relation to when it occurred?
4. Who were the reporters from each of the news outlets? Who were the subjects of their stories? Did the reporters place the story subjects in context, providing both facts and meaning surrounding this event as well as the reasons for its significance? Who were the sources for the story? Did the reporters rely on multiple sources or only a single source? Were official and expert sources cited? Were the sources for the story independent or self-interested? Were the sources identified or were they anonymous? Did the sources provide verification or simply make unsubstantiated assertions? Were there any signs of reportorial bias?
5. What techniques were used to attract attention to the story? Bold Headlines? Excessive punctuation(!!)? ALL CAPS for emphasis? Were any claims made that the story contained a secret, or that the reporter was revealing information that “the media” didn’t want the audience to know? What values and points of view are represented in–or omitted from–this story? What purpose do you think the story was designed to serve?
6. What role does one’s cultural background and personal experience play in the interpretation and understanding of this story?
7. Check the story’s statements for factual accuracy on such sites Snopes.com, FactCheck.org or PolitiFact.com., and summarize your findings.
In doing your analysis of the social and political context of the story you should consult at least five sources. (You may not use the assigned readings in this paper.) Search LexisNexis, Academic Search Premiere, and other credible sources for information and news articles about the story you’ve selected. In the paper itself, you should include at least three quotations taken directly from the sources you’ve selected. Your direct quotes should be no more than a sentence or two and come from four separate sources. Be sure to use a proper style for citing your sources and for your bibliography or list of cited works—you are welcome to use MLA (in-text citation), APA (in-text), or Chicago (footnotes), so long as you use it correctly.
The end result of your research and analysis should be a well-organized, insightful paper that applies the concepts you have learned in class to the task at hand. The paper should be four to five pages, typewritten, double-spaced, with 12-point font and 1-inch margins. You are expected to meet minimum standards of college-level writing. Points will be deducted for unclear writing, poor organization, and errors of spelling and grammar. In general, you should seek to create an informative and persuasive essay that is solid both in its content and presentation.
